Welcome to the Essence Program
The ESSENCE Program is a 501c3 not-for-profit supplemental educational service that seeks to strengthen the academic performance of students in K-12 Louisiana public and charter schools by using information about the life, history, and culture of Louisiana as foundation for direct student instruction and teacher professional development. Donations are tax exempt. The EIN is 680614116.
The ESSENCE Program is a not-for-profit organization that makes information about, and resources on, the life, history, and culture of Louisiana accessible to partnering K-12 public schools. ESSENCE provides a forum for teachers to collaboratively produce lesson plans based on native-centered content, which aligns with Louisiana’s comprehensive curriculum for science, math, English Language Arts, and social studies. ESSENCE also supports direct instruction to students through after school and summer school programs. The mission of the ESSENCE program is two-fold. The program builds the cultural competency of teachers and students, especially those working in and attending Louisiana’s most underresourced K12 public schools. The program also equips students with the social, critical thinking, and communication skills needed to attain high levels of academic achievement.
ESSENCE launched in 2005 with a grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents. The late Louisiana Historian and renowned Professor of History, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall, delivered the program’s first keynote address.
